Hour 2

The Snap IPO, watches to track sleepwalking loved ones, finding a data plan for traveling abroad, editing audio on a Chromebook, is it still worth running Malwarebytes? The Nintendo Switch and more of your calls!

Audience Questions

Audience QuestionsHour 1

Tom is looking for a GPS watch that has cellular service, which can be worn by a sleep walking child. They need to have a lockable wrist band so he can't take it off. Leo suggests several GPS watches out there, but none with a lockable watch band. Leo recently got the Samsung Gear S3 Frontier. It has all the features Tom is looking for, as well as a 22mm removable band that can be replaced. You can also make calls to and from it. The battery life is on long side for a smart watch.. MSRP for $350. It is compatible with Android or iOS. Check out AutismSpeaks.org. They have location devices that could be well suited for your needs.

How about a webcam that takes time lapses? Leo says that all of them can do that with the right software. ChronoLapse is a good application for that.

Bob is going to Iceland and Finland and wants to know where he can get prepaid wireless SIM cards. Leo says to check out Prepaidwithdata.wikia.com. You'll be able to find out which SIM to get for your phone in the country you're visiting. The phone needs to be unlocked, but as long as you're in good standing with your carrier, they should be willing to unlock your phone for you. Many carriers like T-Mobile are starting to offer international data roaming for free at speeds as fast as LTE. The International Data Roaming Plans are much better now but check with your carrier first before deciding between roaming or purchasing a prepaid SIM.

Greg wants to know if he can use a Chromebook to record and edit audio recordings. Leo says that newer ChromeBooks support the use of Android apps from the Play Store and that would give you access to audio recording apps. There's also multiple cloud-based audio editors where you save in the cloud and edit through the Chrome browser. Here's good list here. Soundcloud. Twisted Wave. Here's another way for Audacity users - http://aboutchromebook.com/audacity-for-chromebook/

Audience QuestionsHour 2

Paul got a notice through Malware bytes that he a virus, but he can't seem to get rid of it. It keeps coming back. What gives? Leo says that it may not be malware at all. it could be a false positive. But the only real way to get rid of it, if it is, is to back up your data and reinstall windows from a known good source. You could also reboot into safe mode, then remove it. That could enable it to be removed without reloading. But Leo's betting it's not malware at all. Sometimes Malware bytes causes more trouble.

You can also disable or remove all your security software and then do an online scan over at VirusTotal.com. There's also online scanners from Eset. Trend Micro. F Secure.

Dave has a laptop with two hard drives with various ages. When is it a good time to replace the old drive? Leo says that hard drives fail over time. Google says that they will fail a lot at first, and then then to zero the first few years, and then about 8% a year after that. So if you're drive has been running that long, it may be one of the well put together ones. Hard drives are cheap so just keep your data backed up. Use it until it fails and when it does, your data's already backed up and ready for the new hard drive. Spinning drives also tend to fail gradually. So when it starts getting flaky, it's time to replace them.

Bernie has a laptop running Windows XP and use it to run software needed for his shop. He is worried because Microsoft has stopped supporting Windows XP and its respecting software. Leo says that XP isn't being updated either and if you have to be online, not having Windows Defender and Security Essentials is the least of your problems. There currently no new malware for Windows XP but the safest course of action would be to stay off line on that machine completely. The best option is to run Windows XP in Virtual Machine on a more recent laptop running newer versions of Windows.

Other things you can do are:

1. Stop using XP as an administrator. Use it as a limited user instead. Add an account as an administrator and then demote your existing account to limited user. This will stop over 90% of all the exploits out there.
2. Stop using Internet Explorer. Go with Google Chrome. It's free and far more secure.
3. Don't click on links in email to avoid phishing or malware.
4. Only get your software from original vendors.
5. Keep your anti virus software up to date.
6. Stop using Java/Flash.
7. Use a password vault like LastPass.
8. Turn on 2 factor authentication.

Jimmy wants to know if the Fix Me Stick can remove viruses from his computer. Leo says don't get since it won't provide you with anything additional that you can already download from the internet. The most important thing to look for in antivirus software is the frequency of updates. You can also make your own "fix me stick". Antivirus software gives you a false sense of security. Windows existing security software is adequate and updated often. It's best to practice safe computing. Don't click on links and don't take candy from strangers. Be smart online. If you think you've been infected, backup your data, format your hard drive, and reinstall Windows. That is ultimately the best way to get rid of all virus and malware. You can do so by creating your own boot recovery disk on a USB key with system recovery tools in case you need to rescue your computer.

Audience QuestionsHour 3

Max is a kid gamer who's saving up for his next game console. He wants to know about the Nintendo Switch. Leo says it's getting a lot of buzz, but there aren't a lot of games for it yet. Zelda being the main one. And it's a bit pricey. Leo does expect games to be ported over from the Wii sooner or later. But the real question is, will it be another Wii U, which was a flop. In the end, it comes down to the games. If it has games you want to play and it works well, then it's a good buy. But Leo also says that if you're into retro games, an MAME emulator can let you run retro Nintendo games on your PC. Keep saving, and pay attention to it to see how it does over time.

James loved his Blackberry Z10. Leo says that the Blackberry OS was great for it's time but its time to move to Android because they didn't have the resources to develop separate apps for such a limited market. In the end, it's really down to iOS and Android. The Blackberry Priv was a good Android device with a physical keyboard. The recently announced KeyONE is Blackberry's latest handset but it's not an improvement in the keyboard department.

Scott got bit by ransomware on all his work computers. Since the data is backed up, the course of action is to wipe the drives, reinstall the OS, and restore from the backup. Always keep yourself backed up and updated to prevent things like this from happening.

Here's what you can do to protect yourself:

1. Keep all software and OS updated on your machine.
2. Run as a limited user. NEVER an Admin.
3. Do not click on links from strangers. Do not accept unexpected attachments.

Rod wants use a display monitor for his store to highlight specials, sales, etc. Leo says that any inexpensive Vizio tv that also has an SD card slot will be a built in solution. That'll be the simplest way. Since it will only be on for 10-12 hours a day, then it won't require a more expensive solution.

This Week in Tech News

Sending unsolicited text messages is bad form, and Facebook got caught using their 2 Factor Authentication database to send out ads and other notifications.

Facebook admitted their faux pas and apologized. Leo says that's become the modus operandi of Facebook: move fast and break things, then apologize. In other words, better to ask forgiveness than ask permission.

Samsung has been quite vocal about its plans to build a smartphone with a foldable screen in it, and we could see that next year with the Galaxy Note. On the front it will look like a regular smartphone, but then you'll be able to open it up to a 6 or 7" tablet. That will likely cost a lot more, and Samsung has already said it will be raising the price of the next Galaxy S phone, starting at around $850.

Leo got his Apple HomePod this week and he says it's a device that suffers from an identity crisis. Apple isn't selling it as a home assistant like the Echo or Google Assistant, even though it has Siri on it. It's limited in its ability to play music, though. It's slightly better than the first generation Sonos, but not as good as a bonafide stereo system. It's just an expensive speaker for Apple Music via Airplay. It doesn't even work with Bluetooth. If you're not drinking that Kool-aid, there's no sense in buying one.

Leo says that the Space X Falcon Heavy rocket launch, with two boosters automatically landing afterwards, was a triumph of engineering (even though one crashed in the ocean). The fun part was using Elon Musk's Tesla Roadster as ballast with a mannequin dressed in a spacesuit, playing Bowie's Space Oddity on the stereo. What a great test, and the PR stunt of the century for Tesla, with hundreds of thousands watching the live stream of StarMan orbiting the earth before heading off to Mars. Doesn't get much better than that with PR.

The day before the Super Bowl is the biggest TV buying day of the year — even bigger than Black Friday. That's because it's also the end of the model year and they want to clear out the old models to make room for the new models. Leo says that there are some times you want to wait for the latest and greatest, but right now is not that time. LCD and OLED TVs are still dominant and will be for a few more years until MicroLEDs take hold. So if you were waiting, don't! If you have an HD TV and wonder if you should buy 4K, now is the time because of HDR 4K TVs. They have stunning color and dynamic range. Prices have come down to the point where there's no time like the present.